WHAT’S NEW

INDIA’S CONTEMPORARY DESIGNS.Translated from Hindi, Mogra means the Jasmine flower, known for its immediate sweet and delicate scent. And so, Sundeep (“Sandy”) and Tina Chawla have named their exclusive contemporary design boutique for indeed the colors and designs are captivating to the eyes as the scent of the jasmine is to the nose.

Originally from Bombay (now “Mumbai”), Sandy has been in the clothing business for well over twenty years. Leaving India when he was 17, Sandy travelled to Southern Spain (Marbella and the Costa del Sol), New York and Russia working in the wholesale clothing business.

Sandy and Tina moved to South Florida eight years ago, opening a location on South Beach called “India.” In 2008, they moved to Mary Brickell, and now on October 1 to SOMI, in the space formerly occupied by Miss Pepper, because of the demand and area demographics.

At Mogra, shoppers will find an eclectic range of apparel, keeping alive all the traditional Indian embroideries while incorporating the contemporary style. The clothing is one-of-a kind, hand-made with flawless craftsmanship, embellished with unique stones, beads & crystals. Their forte is tunics, in rainbow colors, sophisticated and very distinctive. Tina designs most of the Mogra collection, and as she notes, “our exclusive one of kind pieces are very wearable by one and all. An interesting mélange of colors that transform you to the very colorful land they come from…..India!”

7308 SW 57 Avenue | 305.668.5386

Chef Aimee and Javier Ortega and Chef Victoria Nodarse.

SPICE ADVICE
Ready to spice up your life? Well, you’ve now got a new place to go. Meet your new culinary friends, Chefs Aimee and Victoria at Spice Galore. Recently located at 6010 South Dixie Hwy, right next to FOX’S, the scent within this spice boutique is so welcoming.

Spice Galore is a local, eco-friendly, semi-organic, sugar, salt, tea and spice company whose goal is to provide the freshest, most flavorful products available imported from all over the world. They sell their own mixes and blends by the ounce and made to order.

First started a year ago in Homestead in a literal “farm store,” they sold spices retail, to restaurants and online. For several months the search was on for another location closer to their target demographic and SOMI was it.

Aimee received her culinary degree from Miami Dade College and realized that “spices became my obsession and a dream of having a world of spices.” Victoria received her Masters Degree in Hospitality Management from FIU together with a certification from the CIA in Napa. She realized that for her “spices are fundamental to creating any flavor profile and the magic to any dish.”

At Spice Galore, shoppers will also find cooking accessories, wooden tools and more. And get ready for some cooking classes for adults, and kids.

PUT THIS IN YOUR BOXMeet three partners who are gearing up for their new “fast, casual” Asian eating concept to take hold – big time. “Bento” is a Japanese lunch box, a single portion takeout or home-packed meal common in Japanese cuisine, which actually dates back to the late Kamakura Period (1185 to 1333). A traditional bento consists of rice, fish or meat, and one or more pickled or cooked vegetables, usually in a box-shaped container. Containers range from disposable mass produced to hand crafted lacquerware.

It’s from this Asian culinary tradition where three guys from Brooklyn and New Jersey began to develop their concept, opening a first location in Hollywood (FL) one year ago in December 2011. On October 1, they opened their second location here in SOMI.